Page 43 of Hearts on the Line (The Maverick Key #1)

Scott

Ms. Connor puts a throw over Crystal’s shoulder and sits beside her with her hand on her back.

“Scott, Crystal believes Mark has taken Maddie to Carter’s Drop to harm her.” Her forehead wrinkles with worry.

My first reaction is to storm to the docks. It’s Wes’s too because he pulls out his phone and walks into the kitchen, making calls. But, we need to know as much as possible before we go. I take a breath and crouch in front of Crystal.

“This is my fault. I didn’t know what Mark did to Nathan. If I had, I would have never…” Her voice cracks.

“It’s okay. None of us knew. Just breathe and start from the beginning. Anything might help.”

“Mark, Nathan, and I were college friends. We did everything together. Nathan was like a beacon, so brilliant. When he moved to Maverick Key, we followed him. Mark got a job with the Coast Guard, and I landed one at City Hall.” She takes a breath.

“Mark and I dated for a little while. We were friends and he was so attentive. I thought I’d try. ”

She takes the tissue she’d been holding and dabs her eyes.

“But I never felt more than friendship with Mark. It was Nathan and I who grew closer. And we admitted to ourselves we were in love.” Her chin quivers.

She takes a sip of water from the glass Ms. Connor offers her.

“We told Mark right away. At first, he took it in stride. We hadn’t been intimate or agreed to a commitment, so it seemed we could still be friends.

But then he distanced himself from me, saying it was too painful to be near me.

” She squeezes her eyes. “He stayed friends with Nathan and helped him with the trips to the blue hole.” She grimaces and puts her hands on her stomach.

“Nathan asked me to marry him, we…” She turns her gaze away as if she’s saying too much.

“Then, I got pregnant. We kept that to ourselves. Nathan wanted to wait to share our relationship because he was concerned that someone dangerous was trying to sabotage his work. He didn’t want anyone to know I was important to him.

No one knew, but Mark. Less than four weeks after I found out I was pregnant, Nathan was gone.

” She stops. Quiet tears pour down her face.

Taking another tissue from Ms. Connor, she blows her nose.

Ms. Connor rubs her back. “Crystal, dear, when you’re ready, please go on.”

“I was so lost, I couldn’t pay my bills, and I was heartbroken.

There were complications with the pregnancy.

Mark offered to marry me and take care of us.

To be a father to another man’s baby. I said yes and thought we could make it work for Natalie.

After Mark realized I would never love him in the way he wanted me to, he changed.

He became controlling, and sometimes he would—” She sobs, the tears now falling in heavy streams down her face. Ms. Connor hugs her.

She takes a few moments to compose herself, then she continues.

“When Maddie came to the island, I wanted to meet her and have that connection with Nathan’s sister.

But then I noticed how much Mark was keeping an eye on what Maddie was up to.

It seemed so strange since he also kept avoiding her when she tried to see him.

He was furious when he found out I approached her at the general store and—” She touches her cheek.

“It clicked. I just knew. Mark had hurt Nathan. My guess is he sabotaged his dive equipment. Mark was Nathan’s boat captain.

He must have killed him and hid his body.

Nathan would have never left us.” She cries harder.

“A few days ago, I told Mark I was going to leave him. He called me about an hour ago. He was on a boat. I think he’s taking her to Carter’s Drop to hurt her.

I’m so sorry I didn’t say something sooner. ”

I hold her and rub her back. “It’s okay. None of this is your fault. We’re going to get her back and we’ll try to get him help.”

I stand. “Thank you, Crystal.” I look at Ms. Connor. “Take care of her.”

I nod to Wes. “Let’s get to the pier.”

My cell rings. It’s Margaret.

“Scott, the Adeline is gone.”

Waves beat against Wes’s boat like the second hand of a clock, counting down the time Maddie has left.

We’re pushing the boat to the limits of how fast it can go.

We don’t know how long they’ve been in the water, only that it’s been too long to feel good about her chances.

Maddie’s life depends on us. On me. Wes and I already have our gear on and we’re just minutes away from the Drop.

Jamie hunches over the boat’s tracking equipment, his face illuminated by the faint glow of the screen. “ Adeline is anchored right over Carter’s Drop. The Coast Guard’s en route right now, ready to assist us with surface rescue.”

“Jamie, Liam, board and take back the Adeline . Margaret will stay on Wes’s boat here for underwater and Coast Guard communication. Wes and I dive.”

Margaret adjusts her headset. “We’ve got eyes on everything up here. Just get her back. When you find her, let her know we love her and we’re waiting for her.”

I scan their faces, reading the same determination mirrored in my own. “Let’s move.”

Wes and I swim into Carter’s Drop. We’re staying off the comms for stealth and will communicate using hand signals until it’s safe to go back online.

We find the dive marker Mark laid. It’s shoddy work.

Has Mark even been in a cave before? Doubtful.

The acid in my stomach rushes to my throat.

He’s following Nathan’s line. I grip the old line, propelling myself forward with measured kicks. Wes follows closely behind.

The dive line continues into a narrow tunnel on the far side of the chamber. I signal to Wes with my hands. Stay Close. I know this trek. It’s gnarly.

He signals he understands and is ready.

We press on.

The tunnel narrows, forcing me to adjust my movements.

The walls are closing in, like claws scraping our tanks.

I adjust my BCD and my fins kick in short, controlled bursts.

I try not to think about Maddie down here, navigating this.

This is bad for an experienced cave diver.

My heart drops. I glance at Wes. How well did he teach her?

Why didn’t I?

We make it to the nearly impassable squeeze that gave Jamie and me so much shit the last time. I have to remove my tanks this time to get through it. Wes is just behind me when my loose tank grates hard against the limestone, the sound jarring in the silence.

Wes taps my shoulder and signs, OK?

I respond, signing, OK.

As the passage widens again, my light catches a green glint in the sand. I freeze, my heart lurching as I pick up Maddie’s necklace. Her little elephant isn’t there to help her through this.

I squeeze my eyes shut.

I hold it up to Wes. Maddie’s?

Yes.

I clutch the chain and put it in my thigh pocket.

Tightening my grip on the line, I move. She’s close. She made it this far. I know she’s still alive.

The tunnel leads us to the vertical shaft. The chamber below is about as far as Jamie and I got the last time. I pause at the edge, shining my light downward. The dive line disappears into the black void below.

Descending. Follow me. Watch your angles.

The shaft is tight, and the walls press in as we swim.

The water is so murky, the light can’t penetrate it.

My breathing echoes in my ears, and the regulator’s steady hum keeps my rising panic at bay.

Maddie has been dragged into this hell. I try to calm my rapid breaths.

Even though the passage is tight, there are several offshoot openings that can easily cause a wrong turn.

My hand slips.

The dive line drifts out of my reach, and my light swings as I force myself not to hold my breath. Stop and think. Training takes over, and I sweep my light in wide arcs until the faint glint of the line catches my eye again. Relief floods through me as I grab it.

Wes signs again. OK? He doesn’t have a clear line of sight into what is happening.

Got it. Let’s move .

We keep going, pushing through fatigue.

Then, my light catches on a figure in the distance—a faint movement.

My heart lurches.

It has to be Maddie.

Found her.